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Bow - the Bike Wheel Bow

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Could not find one of these anywhere - put it into Google but no joy - - guess I better make one myself.

Rigid frame.
Good power output.
No knock required on arrows.
Longer draw than a standard bow.
Accurate.
So very! light.
Simple to build.
Cheap - cost £2.50 for proper catapult rubber preferred by the Chinese apparently (big following of catapults).
Pimp this up and she would be awesome - I kinda like her dirty and visceral though.
Easily shoot 20 meters.
Would work well for short range hunting of small game or fish.
Ammo carried on the frame.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Simple tools -
saw to cut the bike rim - scissors - Snips or some way to remove the spokes from the wheel - file to tidy cuts - pliers to bend.

Materials for the basic build -
Bike wheel - eyelets of some description - inner tube from wheel - catapult rubber (or you can use cut down inner tube but it is not as powerful) - retainers for the threaded end of the eyelets (plasterboard expanding grommets in this case) - a spoke for the sight

Step 2: Lets Go

Ok - normally I would break the construction down but this build has been developed and put together so I didn't want to take things apart again, but the build is pretty much self explanatory by just looking at the photos really.

So - take your scrap wheel and strip it down to it's constituent parts - clean up the body/frame - strip down the spindle and remove the bearings etc..

Take a saw and cut the rim/wheel in half between two holes - cool cos you get a spare frame to pimp up if you like the performance of the first build rather than breaking it down or adding things on. Clean up the corners and round off any sharp edges.

This rim is a 29inch so for position of the eyelets I will assume you are using the same size.

Step 3: And On

Ok - find four full circle eyelets with threaded ends (meaning a full circle welded hoop or hole) this stops the thrust material from getting caught in the end of the eye where it bends round and meets.

Take two eyes and push them into the last holes of the frame - with the threaded end sticking outwards and put a nut or in my case plasterboard fixings on the thread to stop the eyelet from falling into the center of the frame when the bow is drawn (this would not really happen due to the way the draw works and the eyelets are forced against the frame but I figure better safe than sorry - plus I though they looked rather cool ). Now count inwards five holes and put the other two eyelets into the frame, as seen in the photo.

Step 4: Boing

Now - take your catapult rubber (I used a meter) - cut it in half and tie the ends to make two rubber bands.

Take your old inner tube and cut a strip eight inches long and one inch wide tie it between your two bands - a bit like when you set up the rubber on a catapult.

Look at the photo - can you see how if ya do it right, the tied tube makes a natural channel that is perfect to place the end of an arrow into - you'll see when ya try it - when you fit the rubber into the frame position this facing forwards.

Step 5: Feeding Time

Firstly - go back to your old inner tube and cut off a section one and a half inches long (keep it as a tube - you'll see why).Push the tube over the frame till it is in the middle, like a small black hand grip.

Feed the rubber bowstring through the inner eyelets so that they move freely - take the ends out to the second set, pass the rubber through the hoop but before ya do undo the nut slip out the eyelet, pass the rubber under it so it comes back on itself then re insert the eyelet. this will ensure the rubber can never pop off when you draw - you'll see from the picture what I mean. Because your dealing with rubber and not a bow string it is quite easy to manipulate things that would not work normally, it;s a fiddle but not a pain.

Step 6: Have a Rest

Phew!! - I need a rest - and here it is.

Take your old, clean spindle and pass it through that short tube of rubber - when the bow is all built you will set this up so that with the arrow in place at the center of the bowstring the other ends rests on the side of the spindle on one edge but with the arrow situated at the bows center of the frame - you know what I mean.

Step 7: A Sight for Sore Eyes

Ok - looking at the picture - take your old spoke (leave it full length for now and cut it down when ya sort out the range you want to work in/over).

At one end make a one inch 90 degree bend - do you see it, top of the photo.
feed the spoke through the spindle from top to bottom and holding it in place pull outwards to make another bend but 90 degrees to the first - when you find your range you can mark the sight shaft for different distances, for elevation just bend the wire upwards to suit .
To lock the sight in place, pull the sprocket away from the frame a little and tuck the short bend into the frame as in the photos.

Step 8: Lube and Arrows

Before you shoot lube up the rubber that passes through the eyelets with vaseline etc to stop friction reducing power - not the far ones just the inner - if you tweak your bow you'll probably want to put rollers here to give a more constant draw.

Not gonna mention arrows as you can pretty much shoot anything - make em or buy them.

Step 9: Let Fly

Lets go - drop your arrow in the channel of the rubber - rest the front on the spindle - aim at that nice big and probably close target to get ya going - - draw like any other bow and SHOOT!!. - - yes she will slap you on the back of the hand, it does not hurt, it is not the arrow and it's just a tap ya baby : - )

Because the rubber is gentler when resting you can store your ammo under it without worrying about deforming the shaft - nice and easy to carry.

Have a play - if ya don't love this and really see the potential then get back to me for a full refund.

Be safe - wear safety goggles - have fun.

More piks to follow of my bow in the draw position to follow, just the weather is dire here at the mo.

I was going to argue this point with you, but then I realized you're right. The rim does not deform to add power to the release, and more over, the "bow string" is elastic, not taught and rigid, and acts as the sole power producing mechanism.

But, if society comes to a drastic halt, I'd still rather have one of these than nothing at all. :D (Oh, wait, wrong forums, this is instructables, not survivalist things) >_>

The only question I have is; could the spokes be turned into projectiles? Seems to me they're straight, long, slender - maybe use some of the inner tube for fletching... might not even need a head, but not sure how practical these would be for hunting small game. Just some ponderings :)

I made a modified version of this for my year 12 physics project. I mounted the bike wheel on a piece of wood and used high strength Theraband for the bowstring and used full sized arrows. I managed to get around a 40 - 50 meter range on it when launching from a good angle. Thanks for the concept idea it helped me greatly in the development.